Means for draining well tubing preparatory to pulling same



I Feb. 16 1926.

W. H. MCKISSICK MEANS FFR DRAINING WELL TUBING PREPARATORY TO PULLING SAME 2 sheets-shea 1 Filed March 29, 1924 IIL Feb. 16 1926..

` w. H. McKlsslcK MEANS FOR DRAINING WELL TUBING PREPARATORY T0 PULLING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet E Filed March 29, 1924 Patented Feb. 16, 41926.

UNITEDw STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E'. MGKISSICK, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

I S FOB DRAINING WELL TUBING PREPABATORY T PULLING SAME.

Be it known that\I, WILLIAM H. McKisi sion, a citizen of the United States, residin g at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Draining Well Tubing Preparatory to Pulling Same, of which the followin his a full, clear, and exact description, re erence'being had to the accompanying drawings.

' This invention relates" to means for draining the tubing of deep wells, suchv as oil wells, prior to pulling the tubing,

As to the generic matter, the present application is a vdivision of my former applicay tion Serial No.v 571,502, filed June 28, 1922.

In the working of oil and 'other deep wells it becomes necessary at comparatively short intervals to pull the tubing for the purpose of` repairs, as for the replacement of the pump cups or pump valves, or the yrenewal of the standing valve. In the normal operation of t-he pump, the standing valve opens as the pump piston ascends, letting into the working barrel and tubing a quantity of liquid according to the lift of the piston, and closes when the piston ceases to ascend and remains closed during its descending stroke, the piston incorporating an upwardly opening valve through which t e liquid passes as the piston descends. When it is desired to inspect or repair the parts above referred to, the string of sucker rods (which carries at its lower end the pump piston) is first withdrawn from the tubing and the tubing is then pulled. Now, unless the li uid within the tubing is drained back 'into t e well, it results in the loss of this liquidrand in the sattrration` o f theequipment, such as the bull ropesand belting. Furthermore, and very obviously, it takes considerably longer to pull wet tubing than tubing from which the'liquid has'been drained.l

It is the fundamental purpose of my invention 'to (provide a comparatively simple, eiiicient an particularly convenient means, for draining the liquid from the tubing prior to withdrawing it from the casin .eliminating the ditliculties above set fort and vsaving the liquid which is Aotherwise lost and avoiding the great inconvenience,

annoyance and Wasted of time incident to the pulling of wet tubin In the accompanying rawings, Fig-1 `is a longitudinalsection through AWell tub- I Application led March 29,1924. Serial No. 702,777.

i' ing equipped with one form of my invention, showing the valve closed; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve opened by line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2` of another form of the invention; while Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary longitudinal sections through well tubing equipped in the respective views with the two, forms of the invention above referred to and showing the valves unseated by the pump piston in accordance with the method above described.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, I interpose a body portion 1 between sections Zand 3 of the well tubing. This body portion has a through passageway 5 which, throughout the greater portion of its length, is of substantially the same diameter as the inside dimension of the tubing. At its ends, the passageway isv enlarged and threaded for the reception of the externally threaded ends of the tubing sections. The threading of the tubing sectlons is in accordance with standard practice, the sections ordinarily being connected together by suitable couplings. The body portionl 1 has a lateral extension 6 enclosing a valve chamber 7 which opens into the passageway 5 through a port 8. Screwed u through a tapped hole in the bottom wa of the chamber 7 is a nipple 9, the inner end of which constitutes a. seat for a ball valve 10. This ball valve and a valve actuating ball 11 are adapted to be placed in the chamber 7 through the opening intov which the nipple 9 is screwed prior to the insertion of the nipple. It will be observed that the vertical dimension of the port 8 is less than the diameter of the balls 10 and 11 so that there is no danger of the balls becoming lost throu h said port. It will also be noted that t e aggregate diameter of the two balls is substantially equal to the distance between the opening of the port 8 and the opposed wall of the chamber 7. An abut-v ment 12 is ormed'within the passageway 5 slightly. below and diametrically opposite theY ort 8.

en it becomes necessary to pull the raised until the valve above des-cribed reache-s approximately the fluid level within the well in a manner which will be readily understood by those familiar with deep well operations, and a tubular weight 16 (Figs. 2 and 3) is thendropped into the tubing. The weight descends therein (the liquid passing through the bore of the weight during lthe descent) until itreaches the abutment 12, the tapered upper surface of said abutment thrusting the weight laterally against the actuator ball 11, displacing said ball inwardly and .causing `it to remove thei ball valve 10 from its seat which allows the li uid to flow back into the well. The empty tu ing may then be readily pulled.

The foregoing operation 1s in accordance with the method disclosed and claimed in my earlier application above identified. Y

In the form ofthe invention illustrated in l Fig. 4, separate sections of the tubing are 'ly through a tap hole in the lower side of designated 20 and 21 and to the lower end of the former section is screwed the body portion or casing member 22 of the drain valve within anbifset 23 whereof is pivoted, upon a pin 24, a trigger yor lever 25 which is adapted t0 engage and remove from its seat a ball valve 26, the trigger or lever being normally held away from the ball by means of its weighted end 27, the normal position of the trigger or lever being indicated in dotted lines. 'A seat for the ball valve 26 is shown as provided by the inner end of a nipple 28 that is threaded upwardthe offset 23. l

Screwed into the lower end of the casing 22, in axial alignment with the tubing section 20, is a nipple 30. The internal diameter of this nipple is somewhat less than that of the tubing, it being found -thatal nipple which is 1% inches'inside diameter is suitable for use with the standard 2 inch internal diameter tubing. The upper end of the nipple, therefore, constitutes an abutment or shoulder 31 that is a slight distance below the plane of the lever 25. The nipple 30 has connection,l through a coupling 33, with the lower tubing section 21, and, as will be readily understood, the working barrel of the pump is applied to the tubing at a suitable distance below this point.

Using this form of the invention in accordance with the method disclosed in my earlier application, after the string of suck- Ltraair in it engages the bau 26 .to hold a off its seat, allowing the liquid within the 'tubing to drain back into the well. The weight 35 is of a diameter between the internal diameters of the nipple and tubing so that it will be sustained by the shoulder 31 and leave ample room between it and the wall of the tubing to permit the liquid to flow freely past it.

The manner of practicing the method which constitutes one phase of my present invention is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5 the string or sucker rods 15 'has been raised until the pump piston 36 which is attached to its lower end is brought into engagement with the actuator ball 11, thrusting the ball inwardly until it removes the ball valve 10 from thevalve seat, allowing the liquid above the piston to flow back into the well.

In Fig. 6, the pump piston is shown as displacing the lever- 25 which results in the lever lifting the ball valve 26 from its seat so that the liquid may be discharged from the tubing into the well.

It will be seen that the last described meth- 0d has the advantage of emptying the tubing above the drain valve prior to the Withdrawal of the sucker rods and piston, rendering the operation cleaner and more convenient.

The importance of the invention, especially as used in connection with oil wells, will be more fully appreciated when it is pointed out that a barrel of oil weighs 297 pounds; that there are approximately four barrels of oil to 1000 feet of 2 inch tubing and ap- Vproximately nine barrels of oil to 1000 feet of 3 inch tubing, and that oil wells of from 3000 to 4000 feet deep are not uncommon. From this it will be seen how much more work is imposed upon the rigging in pulling wet tubing than .in pulling tubing from which the oil has been drained. @ne is also reminded of the great loss of oil incident to pulling wet tubing. Also, much time is saved by draining the tubing before pulling it as naturally the work is greatly hampered by the presence of the oil.

l would also callattention to the fact that my invention'is applicable to standard practice, it being only necessary to insert the drain valve when assembling land lowering the tubing, and it should not be confused with draining means for pumps made necessary by special equipment involving `tubular pump rods, liquid sealed pump pistons, etc.,v and wherein no provision is made for draining the tubing proper preparatory to pulline' it..`

laving thus described my invention, what l claim is y 1. A drain device for well tubing comprising a body portion having a through passageway and to which sections` of a well tub-v portion having a branch port leading from shifting laterally the actuator trollin its seat.

ing are adapted to be applied, the body against the abutment for engaging ang a an the through passageway, Va ball valve conthrough the intervention thereof actuate the the. port, an actuator ball adapted ball valve.

to project through said'port into the pas- 5. A drain device for well tubing comprissageway, and a member adapted to be posiing a body ortion having a through pastioned within the passageway for engaging sageway andp which is adapted Ato be incorthe actuator ball and through the interporated in said tubing with its through pasvention thereof remove the ball valve from sageway` in alignment with the bore ofthe tubing, the body portion having a lateral 2. A drain device for well tubing comprisoffset enclosing a valve chamber which coming a body portion havingl a through pasmunicates with the through passageway aov sageway and -which is adapted to be incorthrough a restricted port, the bottom wall of.

porated in said tubing withy its through pasthe valve chamber having an openin an sa eway in alignment with the bore of the actuator ball and a ball valve that are a a ttu ing, the body portion having a lateral ed to be placed into the valve cham ervv offset enclosing a valve chamber which comthrough said opening, a tubular member enmunicates with the passageway through a, gaged within said opening and having its port, the valve chamber having an outlet, a.`inner end formed to provide 2a seat for the ball valve arranged to control the outlet, ball valve, the actuator ball being ada ted an actuator ball disposed within the chamto project through the restricted port into ber and arranged to project through the port the through passageway, and a member into the passageway, and a member adapted adapted to be positioned within said passageto be positioned within the passageway and way for engagement with the actuator ball engage the actuator ball for shifting 'it thereby to shift it laterally and through the laterally and through the intervention of intervention of said actuator ball remove said actuator ball remove the ball valve the ball valve from its seat. from its seat. 6. A drain device for well tubing compris- 3. A drain device forwelltubing comprising a body ortion having a through pasing a body portion havinga through' passageway andD to which sections of a well sageway and which is adapted to be incor- 'tubing are adapted to be applied, the body porated in said tubing with its through pasportion having a branch port leading from sageway in alignment with the bore of the the through passageway, a ball valve contubing, the vbody portionhaving a lateral trolling the port, an actuator adapted to prootset enclosing a valve chamber which comject through said port into the passageway,

, municates with the-passageway through a and a member adapted to be positioned withbe positioned within the passageway for sageway an liquid through the branch port, an actuator port, the valve chamber having an outlet, a in the passageway for engaging the actuator valve arranged .to control they outlet, an and through the intervention thereof remove actuator disposed within the chamber and the ball valve from its seat. arranged to project through the ort into 7. A drain valve for well tubing compristhe passageway, and a member a apted to ing a body ortion having a through pasd) to which sections of a well engaging the actuator therebyto shift it tubing are adapted to be applied, the body laterally and through the intervention of portionlhav'ing a branch port leading from said actuator remove the valve from its seat. the through passageway, avalve control- 4. A drain device for well tubing comprisling the port, an actuator independent of,

ing a body portion having a through pasandI movably supported by the body por, 105

sageway and which is adapted to be incor-v tion in operative relation to, the 'valve and porated in said tubing with its through pasadapted to project through said port into sageway in alignment wtih the bore of the the passageway, and a member adapted to tubing, the body portion having a branch be positioned within the passageway for .port leading froml the tliro'ugh passageway, engaging the actuator and through the interthere being an abutment within said passagevention thereof remove the valve from 'its way, a ball valve controlling the flow of seat. y

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiX-my Y ball arranged to project through the port signature.

' into the passageway, and a member adapted to be positioned within the passageway WILLIAM H. MKISSICK. 

